The Reserve Bank of India today issued the much-awaited guidelines for new banking licences. Among other terms, new

banks should open at least 25 per cent of branches in unbanked rural centres.

Of the 1.55 lakh post offices, around 24,000 district offices may be ready to offer banking services in next two years. Post offices are being enabled by core banking solution's connecting nationwide branches as part of an transformative IT project.

DoP is in process of setting up 1,000 ATMs.

The country has around 90,000 bank branches at present.

"Post Bank shall not only take care of the banking needs

of the rural poor but shall also converge with micro-insurance and micro-remittance services of the Department of Posts," the source said.

The head offices chosen for setting up ATMs covers all the states, with Andhra Pradesh leading the tally at 100 ATMs, followed by Tamil Nadu (92) and Uttar Pradesh (73).